Variable pressure or relief valve



i, 1930. F. J. RODE VARIABLE PRESSURE OR RELIEF VALVE Filed April 25, 1927 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 NITED ST T S PATENT or'rlcs rnnnnrcrr 3'. sensor orrrcaeo, rnnmora assrenon r maounrrn roo'r. & no.

comm, or carcaeo, rumors; a conrona'rron or rumors VARIABLE PRESSURE 0B BELIEF VALVE Application. filed April 25, 1927. Serial No. 186,272.

1 This invention relates in general to improvements in valves, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide in a valve of this character means whereby a very wide range of variable resistance pressureagainst which the valve isadapted to be opened or unseated may be obtained within a very compact space. 1

A further object is to provide an improved valve of this character embodying a plurality of separate and independent resistance pressure creating elementswhich are adapted to be successively rendered active or inactive at will to increase or decrease the stress or tension thereof to produce the desired resistance pressure against the valve at any time in the cycle of operation of theapparatus or mechanism to which the valve is attached.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter; more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention, and in which 1 Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 11, Figure 2, of a valve constructed in accordance with the principles of thisinvention.

Figure 2 is 'a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2, Fi re 1. A

Figure 3 is a. vertica sectional view taken on line 33, Figure 2, with parts omitted and with parts broken away.

Figure 4 is a view taken on line 4-4, Figure 2, with parts omitted and with parts broken away.

Referring more-particularly to the drawing the numeral designates generally a valve casin of any desired size and construction w ich is provided with. an inlet opening 11 and an outlet opening 12. Intel,

mediate these openings is a valve 13, which co-operates with a seat'14 and thevalve is "provided with a stem 15" which preferably 8.

passes throu h a suitable stufling box 16 in the wall oft ceasing.

Mounted upon the valve casing are gmdw 17 preferably in the form of rods, any number of which may be provided, and slidable upon these guides is a member 18 which is connected in any suitable manner with the valvestem15.q I v A secondvmember 19 is provided, which co-operates. with the member 18 and is'also slidably mounted upon the guides 17.

A plurality of resistance creating elements are interposed between the members 18 and 19 and these elements may be constituted in any suitable manner, but are preferably in theform of coil springs, preferablyarranged in pairs, the pairs bein of different stress or tension by reason 0 their difierence in len hs. 1 p

ne of the, rings, 20, is preferably centrally disposed etween the members 18 and 19, the ends of the spring encompassing a pro'ection 21 on the member 18 and a similar progection 22 on the member 19, whereby the sprmg will be held against displacement.

Additional springs 23 constitutlng a air are'provided, andone-end-of each oft ese springs encompasses a projection 24 *on the member 18 by one end, and the other ends of these springs encompass projections 25 depending from the member 19.

These springs or elements 23 are of a length somewhat shorter than the spring 20.

A second set 'of springs 26 are also ranged between the members 18and 19, one end of these sprin s encom assing projec tions 27 on the member 18 and the other en respectively encompass projections 28 de pending from the member 19.

These springs or elements 26 are sit a length somewhat shorter than the lenh at the pair of springs 23.

.A still further'set of springs 29 is also disposed between the members 18' and 1.9. One and of the springs 29 encompas projections 30 on the member 18 and the other ends of these s rings encompass projections 31 carried by t a member 19.,

Y The springs 29 are of a len considerbl less than the length of the springs 28,, and all of the springs 23, 26 and 29 are pret ier ably of the same pitch and diameter. The springsmay be of anyd' 1 I a tee or tension, and for the purpose of illustration, it may be assumed that the spring 20 may be of an stress or tension.

Y The air 0 springs 23, are each preferably of a fi y pound stress or pressure, each of the pair ofsprings or elements 26 is of a seventy-five ound stress or pressure, while each of the pair of springs or elements 29 is of a one hundred pound stress or pressure.

The member 19 is adapted to be moved upon the guides 17 inany suitable manner such as by means of a hand operating device 32 which is connected with a shaft 33 threaded through a bearing 34 preferably carried by the guides 17 The end 35 of the shaft 33 has a bearing inthe member 19.

When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1, the spring or resistance creating element20 alone is acting upon the valve 13 to hold the same seated to create a resistance pressure against the passage of liquid through the opening 11 into the valve casing and out of the opening 12. I

Should it be desired to increase the resistance pressure of the valve 13 the member 19 is adjusted upon the guides 17 until it contactswith the adjacent ends of the elements or springs 23 so as to place these elements 23 under stress or tension to cause them to cooperate with the spring or element 20 to in-' crease the resistance pressure upon the valve 13 and against which pressure it is necessary to unseat the valve to permit the passage of liquid.

Should a further or greater resistance pressure upon the valve 13 be desired the member 19 is further adjusted upon the guides 17 in the same direction until it contacts with the adjacent ends of the elements or springs 26, thereby rendering these latter elements also active to create a greaterresistance pressure upon the valve 13. v

By a still further adjustment of the-member 19 in the same direction or until the member 19 engages the ends of the elements or all of the elements 20, 23, 26 and 29 will be exerted upon the valve 13 and thereby. increase the pressure against which the valve 13 must be unseated by the action of the liquid thereon to permit the liquid to pass through the valve casing.

With this improved construction it will be manifest that there is provided means whereby a variable resistance pressure may be created upon the valve 13 and which pressure is at all times under the control of the operator and may be varied by increasing or decreasing the same at any time in the cycle of operation of the mechanism or apparatus to which the valve is attached by simply adjusting or operating the hand device 32. 1

By advancing the member 19 upon the guides 17 towards the valve casing the pressure or stress upon the valve 13 will be increased and by moving the member 19 in a direction away from the valve casing the stress or tension upon the valve 13 will be decreased.

' Heretofore when it has been desired to increase the stress or strain of the spring which controls the valve, beyond the capacity of such spring, it has been necessary to remove the spring and replace it with a stronger sprin This sometimes necessitates shutting own or stopping the mechanism or apparatus in connection with which the valve is employed. By the use of the present invention this objection and difiiculty will be avoided and a change in the stress on the valve may be readily accomplished while the mechanism or apparatus in connection with which the valve is used, is in'operation.

While in the present form of the invention coil springs are shown as constituting the resistance pressure creating elements, it is to be .understood that any other resistance creating elements suitable for the purpose, may be employed, suchfor instance as resilient blocks or any other construction, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is 1. A valve, a member connected with the valve and movable therewith, a second-member co-operating with the first said member and spaced therefrom, guides upon which said members are movable, a plurality of resilient resistance pressure creating elements independent of each other and disposed between said members, said elements being freely accessible exteriorly of the valve casing and of difi'erent stress orstrain creating capacity, some'of said elements being normally inactive with respect to the valve, a support connected with the said guides, and an adj usting element connected with the sup ort and engaging the second said member or moving it towards the first said member for successively rendering the said elements active with respect to the valve whereby the resistance of the valve may be varied atwill.

2. A valve, a member connected with the valve and movable therewith, a second member co-operating with the first said member and spaced therefrom, uides upon which said members are mova 1e, a plurality of coiled springs independent of each other and freely accessible exteriorly of the valve casing, said springs being disposed between said members, some of said springs being normally inactive with respect to the valve, said springs being of difierent lengths, a support carried by the guides, and means adjustably mounted upon the support and engaging with the second said member for moving it toward the first said member and successively into engagement with the normally inactive springs to render some of them active with v respect to the valve in advance of others of a the springs.

3. A valve, a member connected with the 5 valve and movable therewith, a second mem ber co-operating with the first said member and spaced therefrom, guides upon which the said members are movable, a plurality of coiled springs independent of each other and freely accessible exteriorly of the valve casing, said springs being disposed between said members, some of said springs being normally inactive with respect to the valve, said springs being of diflerent lengths, a support carried by the guide, and means carried by the support for rendering a predetermined number of said springs active at will with respect to the valve for varying the resistance ressure of the valve and for controlling suc resistao ance pressure of the valve by the number of such springs thus rendered active.

4. A valve, a member connected with the valve and movable therewith, a second member co-operating with the first said member and spaced therefrom, a plurality of resilient resistance pressure creating elements independent of each other and freely accessible exteriorly of the valve casing, said elements being disposed between said members, said elements being of difierent stress or strain creating capacity, some of said elements being normally inactive with respect to the valve, means for moving the last recited member towards the first said member for successively rendering the inactive elements active with respect to the valve whereby the resistance of the valve may be varied at will, and means individual to the said resilient elements for maintaining them against displacement when the said elements are inactive, the

last said means embodying projections carried by one of said members and telescoping into the respective springs.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, on this 20th day of April, A, D. 1927.

FRIEDRICH J. RODE. 

